COSTA MESA, CA – On Thursday, May 21, the Orange County Performing Arts Center will be the center of the dance world as an array of celebrated dance superstars take the stage of Segerstrom Hall in Tour de Force. It is a one-night-only dance spectacular that will showcase such renowned artists as Maria Alexandrova, Natalia Osipova, Nikolay Tsiskaridze, Ivan Vassiliev, Leonid Sarafanov, Diana Vishneva, Anastasia Matvyenko, Denis Matvyenko, Alina Cojocaru, Johan Kobborg, Vladimir Malakhov, Gennadi Saveliev, Silvia Azzoni, Carsten Jung, Bernice Coppieters, Chris Roelandt, Desmond Richardson, the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg and others. The Center has always presented the greatest dance companies and artists since its first season in 1986, and in that tradition, it now presents another unforgettable evening as a special treat for Center audiences. Tour de Force is being presented in association with Ardani Artists.

In its fifth visit to the Center, the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg will perform during the same week as Tour de Force, and give the Southern California premiere of their new work, Onegin, as well as dance several excerpts from their most celebrated works. Additionally, Artistic Director Boris Eifman has taken this occasion to create a new solo piece for Nikolay Tsiskaridze with the working title of I Am. From classic pas de deux to contemporary, beginning at 7:30 p.m., Tour de Force will be a never-to-be-forgotten array of glorious dance artistry and genius.

Tickets for Tour de Force are $35 – $150 and go on sale March 15. They will be available online at OCPAC.org, at the Center’s Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling 714.556.2787. For inquiries about group ticket discounts for 15 or more, call the Group Sales office at 714.755.0236. The TTY number is 714.556.2746. Artists and program are subject to change.

A limited number of patron ticket packages are available, which include premier seating and a post-performance party with the artists. Please call 714.556.2122, ext. 4247 for more information and to reserve seats.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center applauds Mercedes-Benz, USA, the Premier Sponsor of the Center’s 2008-2009 Season. Support for the Center’s International Dance Series is provided by Audrey Steele Burnand Endowed Fund for International Dance, Jane and Jim Driscoll and Segerstrom Foundation Endowment for Great Performances. The Center thanks media sponsors Classical KUSC 91.5 and Coast magazine. Additional support for Tour de Force is provided by Bruno and Sharon Lebon and Tim and Mary Harward.

Maria Alexandrova was born in Moscow. She won a Gold Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow and subsequently joined the Bolshoi Ballet and is now a principal dancer. She received a Soul of Dance Prize in the category Rising Stars from Ballet magazine, the Golden Mask Award for her performance in The Bright Stream and the title of Merited Artist of the Russian Federation.
Her repertory includes roles in Fantasy on the Casanova Theme, Don Quixote, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Dreams about Japan, as well as La Bayadère, Symphony in C, Chopiniana, Russian Hamlet, La Fille du Pharaon, Swan Lake, Spartacus, La Sylphide, Raymonda, Notre-Dame de Paris, Leah, Jeu de Cartes, Carmen Suite, Le Corsaire, Class Concert and The Flames of Paris.

Natalia Osipova was born in Moscow. On completing her training at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, she joined the Bolshoi Ballet. With the company, Osipova has danced in numerous productions including Giselle, La Sylphide, A Midnight's Summer Dream, Bolt, Les Presages, Gaite Parisienne, Jeu de Cartes, La Fille du Pharaon, Bolero and The Flames of Paris. She was awarded the Grand Prix at Prix de Luxembourg International Ballet Competition and third prize at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow. In 2007, she was awarded the Soul of Dance Prize in the category Rising Star from Ballet magazine. And in 2008, she received the National Dance Awards Critics' Circle in the category Best Female Dancer and the Golden Mask Award for her performance in In the Upper Room.

Nikolay Tsiskaridze was born in Tbilisi. He studied dance at the Tbilisi Ballet School and Moscow Choreographic College before joining the Bolshoi. He has been awarded Ballet magazine’s Soul of Dance prize, First Prize at the International Competition of Ballet Dancers in Moscow and in 2000, was named Best Dancer of the Year by Danza & Danza journal. He has also received the Benois de la danse International Dance Association prize and the Golden Mask National Theatre prize. Tsiskaridze was also awarded the Order of Honor of the Republic of Georgia. He has danced at the Paris National Opera, Kirov Ballet, with the Asami Maki Ballet company at Tokyo’s New National Theatre and at Moscow’s Operetta Theatre. He was one of the stars of Kings of the Dance, commissioned and produced by the Orange County Performing Arts Center with Ardani Artists in 2006.

Ivan Vassiliev graduated from the Belarusian State Choreographic College and immediately joined the National Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theatre of Belarus as a principle dancer. In 2006, Vassiliev became a member of the Bolshoi Ballet where he made his debut with the company in the role of Basil in Don Quixote. Since then, he has performed in La Bayadère, Misericordes, Le Corsaire, Class Concert and Spartacus. His awards include the Triumph youth grant prize, Soul of Dance Prize in the category Rising Star from Ballet magazine and the National Dance Awards Critics' Circle in the Spotlight Award category.

Leonid Sarafanov was a prize winner at the International Rudolf Nureyev Ballet Competition in Budapest in 2000 and at competitions in Paris 2000. A year later in Moscow 2001and in 2004 in Seoul, he was awarded the International Benois de la Danse prize in the category Star by Ballet magazine. Born in Kiev, Leonid graduated from the Kiev State School of Choreography in 2000 and was engaged as a soloist with the National Ballet of Ukraine the same year. He was named a soloist at Mariinsky Theatre in 2002 and in 2007 he became a principal soloist with the company.

Diana Vishneva was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and is a prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre and principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. She has been awarded the Grand Prix Gold Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Lausanne, the Golden Mask Award (Russia’s highest theatrical prize), Ballet magazine’s Spirit of Dance Prize, La Divina award as best dancer of the year, the St. Petersburg theatrical prize Golden Sophit, the State Prize of the Russian Federation and was named Best in Europe by Dance Europe magazine. In addition to performances at the Metropolitan Opera, Berlin Staatsoper, the Kennedy Center, La Scala, Opera de Paris, London’s Coliseum and the Megaron Theatre in Athens, Vishneva has been seen in the Center’s International Dance Series and starred in the world premiere of Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion, created especially for her by the Center and Ardani Artists.

Anastasia Matvyenko was invited to join the Ukrainian National Opera Ballet in 2002 upon her graduation from the Kiev State Ballet Academy. Her dancing is characterized by lyricism, academic purity, extraordinary technical ability, expressiveness and precision. Her classical ballet repertoire includes leading roles in Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda and many others. In June of 2005, Matvyenko won the Gold Medal at the 10th Moscow International Ballet Competition. She has performed in the Center’s International Dance Series, as well as in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Japan and Mexico.

Denis Matvyenko trained at the Kiev State Ballet Academy and danced with the Kirov Ballet before joining the Ukrainian National Opera Ballet. He was a finalist at the second Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Kiev and won the Grand Prix and the Gold Medal at Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland and the Grand Prix at the Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Competition in Budapest. Matvyenko has been awarded the Gold Medal and the Vazlav Nijinsky Prize at the Tokyo International Ballet Competition and the Grand Prix at the 10th Moscow International Ballet Competition. He has performed in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Japan, Mexico and made appearances at the Center.

Alina Cojocaru is from Bucharest, Romania. She trained in Kiev for seven years before joining The Royal Ballet School in 1998 on a Prix de Lausanne scholarship. Upon completion of her training six months later, she returned to Kiev to dance with Kiev Ballet for a year. Her repertoire with the Kiev Ballet included Kitri (Don Quixote), Aurora, Princess Florine (The Sleeping Beauty), Cinderella, Clara (Nutcracker), Coppélia, Peasant Pas de deux (Giselle) and Pas de trois, Hungarian Dance (Swan Lake). She joined The Royal Ballet as an artist in 1999 and was promoted to first soloist in 2000. In April 2001, she was promoted to principal. Her Royal Ballet repertoire includes: Swan Lake, Giselle, Onegin, Romeo and Juliet, Nutcracker, Mayerling, Symphonic Variations, Ad infinitum, There Where She Loves and the lead female in Masquerade. She danced at the Center in the world premiere of Kings of the Dance and with The Royal Ballet.

Johan Kobborg studied at the Funen Ballet Academy and the Royal Danish Ballet School, where he was later promoted to soloist and principal. He has appeared in major roles at the Royal Danish Ballet and has been a guest performer with several ballet companies in Europe, the United States, Japan and Thailand. He was a guest artist with The Royal Ballet. Kobborg was one of the kings in the Center’s Kings of the Dance. In addition to most of the classical roles for men, Kobborg has also created a number of roles, including the title role in Peter Schaufuss´ Hamlet, and roles in The Crucible and Ashley Page’s This House Will Burn, and has danced in Rudolf Nureyev´s Don Quixote, John Cranko´s Onegin, Antony Tudor´s The Leaves Are Fading, Stephen Baynes´ Beyond Bach, La Bayadere, William Forsythe´s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated and Nacho Duato´s Por Vos Muero.

Vladimir Malakhov trained at the school of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. He is currently a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and a principal guest artist with the Vienna State Opera. He is also the artist director and first soloist of the Staatsballett Berlin (Berlin State Ballet). Among Malakhov’s many awards are the Varna International Ballet Competition’s Grand Prize, Moscow International Ballet Competition’s Gold Medal and Serge Lifar Prize, International Ballet Competition’s Jackson/ Bronze Medal and Best Male Dancer in the World for three consecutive years (Japan's Dance Magazine). He has been the subject of films and broadcasts such as Bravo Malakhov, Narcisse, the Dancer Malakhov and The True Prince.

Gennadi Saveliev was a member of the Bolshoi Ballet before joining American Ballet Theatre in 1996. He has worked with such choreographers as Yuri Grigorovich, Lar Lubovich, Kevin McKenzie, Ben Stevenson, John Neumeier and Twyla Tharp. His repertoire includes leading roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, Coppelia, Les Sylphides, Le Corsaire, Onegin and Don Quixote. In 1996, Saveliev won a silver medal at the New York International Ballet Competition. He also performs as guest artist with Angel Corella and Friends. He is also the president and founder of Youth America Grand Prix. He was last seen at the Center in 2008 with American Ballet Theatre.

Silvia Azzoni trained at the Baletna Skola in Torino, Italy and the School of the Hamburg Ballet in Germany. She has been with the Hamburg Ballet since 1993 and has appeared at the Center with the company. She has received the Dr. Wilhelm-Oberdörfer Prize, the Danza & Danza Prize for Best Italian Dancer Abroad and the Rolf Mares Prize for the Hamburg Theaters in the category Outstanding Performance for The Little Mermaid. Her repertory includes Chloe in Daphnis and Chloe, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Rosalind in As You Like It, Romola Nijinsky in Nijinsky, Nina Michajlowna Saretschnaj in The Seagull and La Sylphide in La Sylphide. She has performed in Moscow, Warsaw, Tokyo, Italy, New York and Australia. She has also appeared at the Center with the Hamburg Ballet.

Carsten Jung was born in Gotha, Germany. He attended the Palucca School in Dresden and The School of the Hamburg Ballet where he is currently a principal dancer. He has made several visits to the Center with the company. He has performed in Nijinsky, The Seagull, Sylvia, Hamlet, Giselle, Odyssey and Death in Venice. He has been a guest performer with the Queensland Ballet in Australia and the Stuttgart Ballet. Additionally, he has worked on Donya Feuer’s documentary The Work of Utopia and danced in the DVD production of Illusions Like Swan Lake.

Bernice Coppieters entered the Antwerp Institute of Ballet in Belgium at the age of 10, where she studied for the next eight years. After receiving the Prix de Lausanne, she studied at the School of American Ballet and became a dancer with the Flanders Royal Ballet. Coppieters joined Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in 1991 and has danced principal roles in many of Jean-Christophe Maillot's creations. She has been bestowed the title of Etoile of les Ballets de Monte-Carlo by H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover and the title of Officier du Mérite Culturel of the Principality of Monaco. She was recently awarded by the jury of Danza & Danza, presided by Mario Pasi, Etoile of the Year for 2005 for her performances in Italy.

Chris Roelandt was born in Belgium and studied at the Antwerp Institute of Ballet. He was invited by Jean-Christophe Maillot to join Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo as a soloist, then as a first soloist. Roelandt has danced principal roles in the Balanchine repertoire, Leonide Massine's La Gaîté Parisienne, and in contemporary works by Maillot (Vers un Pays Sage, Concert d'Anges, Romeo and Juliet, In Volo and l'Île), William Forsythe (The Vile Parody of Address, Approximate Sonata, Quartette), Jíri Kylián (Return to a Strange Land), Uwe Scholz (Jeunehome) and Mirror's Edge by Karole Armitage, Blue Grass by Itzik Galili, The Time it Takes by Kevin O'Day and Getting Started by Jacopo Godani.

Desmond Richardson is a multi-talented artist who has mastered a wide range of dance forms including classical, modern and contemporary. In 1987, Richardson joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater where he was a principal dancer for seven years. He has performed with Ballet Frankfurt, Swedish Opera Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Teatro alla La Scala, American Ballet Theatre and the San Francisco Ballet. He is co-founder and co-artistic director of his own company, Complexions, which has been in existence since 1994. He has also worked with Michael Jackson, Prince, Aretha Franklin and Madonna. He is featured in Patrick Swayze’s film, One Last Dance and the film version of the Oscar-winning Chicago. Richardson made his debut at the Center last year in the world premiere of Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion.

Boris Eifman has created more than 40 ballets. He has been honored with Russia’s Golden Mask award, including one for lifetime achievement in contemporary choreography. Eifman is also a four-time recipient of the St. Petersburg theater award, The Golden Sofit. His other awards and distinctions include the Triumph award, the Russian state award for his contribution to the development of the performing arts, induction into France’s Order of Arts and Letters, the distinguished title of The People’s Artist of Russia and a professorship at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. From Siberia, Eifman studied at the Vaganova Ballet Academy and Leningrad Conservatory. He founded The New Ballet of Leningrad (now known as the St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theater, or Eifman Ballet) – Russia’s first and only ballet theater dedicated to performing works by a single choreographer. With his new ballet troupe, he created an original choreographic style based on classical ballet and infused with the spirit of contemporary choreography. With his company, he has also mentored a group of like-minded artists for whom nothing seems impossible.

Orange County Performing Arts Center
The Orange County Performing Arts Center presents a wide variety of the most significant national and international productions of music, dance and theater to the people of Southern California. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through an array of inspiring programs and an unsurpassed attendance experience.
It owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, and the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center’s studio performance space and Boeing Education Lab. These state-of-the-art facilities are united by a community arts plaza.
The Center’s Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and community plaza, along with facilities of the adjacent Tony® Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the new home of the Orange County Museum of Art, are located at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
The Orange County Performing Arts Center presents a broad range of programming each season for audiences of all ages from throughout Orange County, and beyond, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, up and coming indie bands, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events.
It offers many education programs designed to inspire young people through the arts. These programs reach more than 500,000 students of all ages with vital arts-in-education programs, enhancing their studies and enriching their lives well into the future.
The Orange County Performing Arts Center is proud to serve as the artistic home to the region’s major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale.
For more information, visit OCPAC.org.

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